Lisburn charity teams up with Born and Bred to create mental health toolkits for children

These ToolKits were developed with teachers, parents, the PHA, and pupils, and have been supported by the Education Authority.

Through the four resources within the ToolKits, children in key stage one is equip with an emotional vocabulary, so they know how to talk about how they feel.

They are also encouraged to reach out to and speak to those they trust, and they learn what healthy interpersonal relationships look like, and how interactions with other people can impact how each other feel.

Each ToolKit consists of a character-based story and activity booklet which uses ‘The Feels’ characters to make these lessons more enjoyable and relatable for the pupils.

Pure Mental NI, which was founded by Lisburn friends Jay Buntin and Matthew Taylor, is delighted to have partnered with Born and Bred who will be helping to fund the printing and distribution of 1,600 ToolKits across Northern Ireland.

A spokesperson for Born & Bred said: “Founded in 2014 by Linzi Rooney, we have created a retail space both in person and online and added a playfully professional element to the gift shop industry.

"As a mother herself, Linzi loved that Pure Mental focus on connecting with primary school children to ensure they are equipped with the skills and resources to talk about their mental health.

"Learning to talk about their feelings before getting to secondary school is so important for our young people, as often it can be too late to encourage children in their early teens to talk about their mental health.

"We were inspired by the passion Jay and Matthew have for children’s mental health, by creating the charity four years ago at the age of 17.

"Supporting a smaller charity based in NI is the perfect partner for us as our ethos focus’ on helping local artists and makers thrive.

" We also felt Pure Mental’s brand resonated with our wee shop, incorporating the tongue and cheek that we love here in Northern Ireland while making a difference in local communities.”